Press Release

There was an international radical movement of using photography in the contemporary art in 1960s-1970s. Masafumi Maita initiated to use photography in 1971. In the same year he awarded a grand prize at the 6th International Young Artists Exhibition. Moreover, having received a scholarship, he stayed in Paris from 1971 - 1973. We can see a certain distinction in his works those days; photography and matter are always assembled. Although he grabbed was in the spotlight by using as he employed photography in his practice, his fundamental interest was always in matter and spatial aspect that was captured in an image. He believed that definition of the matter is affected by situations and circumstances as we see in the most of his works in 1970s. “Situation” series particularly draws a comparison between matter and image/ represents a relation between matter and illusion. Along with connecting matter and photograph in spatial way, “Situation”, evokes moreover a notion of time.To visualize memory, matter that links the memory is needed, however matter itself does not tell about memory. Yet only matter and image are visible but memory is not. Matter and image only makes memory visible; Maita’s idea truly lies in externalizing memory through matter and image.He has made presentations in many exhibitions in Japan and abroad till now. What is remarkable among them though is that he participated in the Venice Biennale twice in 1976 and 1986.